


Letting Out The Things You Hide

by slash4femme



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Charlie isn't good at the whole manly meanful silences, Don would really just be happiest not knowing anything about anyone's sex life, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-27
Updated: 2014-03-27
Packaged: 2018-01-17 05:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1375993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slash4femme/pseuds/slash4femme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> Don doesn't have the words for this, but Charlie needs to hear it anyway</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letting Out The Things You Hide

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in August 2009
> 
> written for the prompt 'the third time' for the group [](http://community.livejournal.com/24_times/profile)[ **24_times**](http://community.livejournal.com/24_times/) . All of the stories written for [](http://community.livejournal.com/24_times/profile)[](http://community.livejournal.com/24_times/) **24_times**   will have titles taken from the song _Love's Lines, Angles and Rhyme_ s

I.

They don’t talk about it. That’s not to say everyone doesn’t know it’s just that you don’t talk about these things in the FBI. Don doesn’t talk about it at all. What he does, what any of his team does on their own time is their business that’s the way he sees it.  They don’t name anything either, if no one names it, it doesn’t have to be real.

“This thing.” Don waves his beer bottle around in a little circle. “The thing between you and Colby, you sure about this?”

David only gives him a long look, rolling his own beer bottle between his fingers, “this thing with you and Liz you sure about that?”

Don looks at him for a moment then grunts, nods and turns back to the game.

When Colby takes his vacation at a time that overlaps most of David’s Don doesn’t even raise an eyebrow, only signs the forms.

 

II.

“So Larry’s coming over tonight?” Don doesn’t look up as he asks and Charlie stops half way across the living room frowning slightly.

“Yeah he is. Is that all right?”

“It’s fine.” Don still hasn’t looked away from the baseball game on tv. “I was just wondering, you know, how you and Amita were doing.”

Charlie’s frown deepens. “We’re fine I guess, Amita feels like she needs to take some time for her own research and career and I understand that.”

“So you two, you’re not going out anymore?”

Charlie pauses. “I guess we’re not, no. Not the way you mean anyway.”

“So Larry’s coming over a lot.”

Charlie actually laughs. “Larry always comes over a lot.”

Don doesn’t answer that and Charlie starts frowning again. “Larry’s my friend. He always has been.”

Don glances up at him finally “Yeah I guess you two always have been friends.”

 There’s something tight underneath Don’s words, something else is going on here and Charlie isn’t quite sure what, or what this is. Charlie opens his mouth and the doorbell rings. He hurries to answer it ushering Larry in and through toward the garage, one hand on the small of his back.

“Hello, Don.” Larry calls as Charlie hurries him by. 

“Hey Larry.” Don looks up to watch Larry and his younger brother disappear around the corner, Charlie’s hand still firmly on the small of Larry’s back their shoulders touching.

 

III.

“Good thing you were wearing your vest.” Don pats Colby on the shoulder.

“Yeah dude, tell me about it.”  Colby lifts his arms wincing but the large fists shaped bruises on his chest are a lot less lethal then bullet holes would have been. Both Colby and Don turn slightly when David pushes his way into the room. For a long minute he just stands there, hands fisted in his jacket’s pockets staring at Colby. David’s eyes track up Colby’s chest to the already purpling bruises.

“Hey.” It comes out obviously not as steady as he would have liked and David clears his throat. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Colby’s voice is a lot softer, a lot gentler then it had been a minute ago. “I’m fine David.”

David’s eyebrows draw together in a frown. “You don’t look fine. In fact you look like a man who just stood in the line of fire.”

Colby ducks his head staring down at the ground, looking a little worried and a little sheepish and Don moves towards the hospital room door. “I’ll give you two some time, okay?”

Neither man answers him and Don closes the door just as David crosses the room in a few long strides and pulls Colby close. Don shakes his head and goes to find a cup of coffee.

 

IV.

They’re having an Eppes family dinner, which means Alan, Don, Charlie and Larry. Amita had been invited but couldn’t make it, something about needing to have a conference call with some people she was collaborating with on a project. For all intense and purposes Larry and Charlie haven’t actually stopped working to come to the table but seem to carrying on the same discussion of mathematic principles they’ve been having all day. As always Larry talks with his hand and every once in a while Charlie will pull a pen out of his pocket and write something down on the table clothe or on a napkin and then they will both lean close to peer at it. Every once in a while too Larry’s hand will come to rest against the tabletop and Charlie will cover it with his own. Whenever this happens Alan will give them a long look but he doesn’t say anything.

Dinner finishes and Larry helps Alan carry the dishes into the kitchen and load the dishwasher, while Don and Charlie crash on the couch in the living room.

“So you and Larry.” Don nudges Charlie’s knee with his own, and Charlie frowns.

“What about me and Larry?”

“You two seem close.”

“We’ve always been close.” Charlie pushes himself up more on the couch. “What is with you and asking me about Larry lately Don? If something’s bothering you just say so.”    

Don looks across the room folding his hand over his chest. “Nothing’s bothering me, Charlie.”

“Well then . . .” Charlie’s frowning as he pushes himself away from Don on the couch, his legs tucked under him, one hand snakes up to play with a stray curl. Don doesn’t look at him.

“Charles?” Charlie looks up at Larry standing in the doorway. “Am I interrupting something?” Larry’s expression is questioning and Charlie glances quickly at Don and Don shakes his head.

“No it’s okay Larry, I was just going to check some baseball stats before heading out.” Charlie gives him a long, searching look then stands and walks over to stand by Larry taking Larry’s arm. “We should probably get back to the calculations we were working on, for your project?”

Larry nods and Charlie moves his hand from Larry’s arm to Larry’s back between his shoulder blades as they head for the garage.

 

V.

“You guys want to come over to my family’s place for dinner next week?”  David looks up at Don leaning against his desk.

“Sure, you know, just as long as no one gets killed and nothing blows up.”

“Yeah that’s pretty much what I told him.” 

David smiles at that and then closes the profile he’s been reading. “So it’s going to be you, your dad, Charlie?”

“Yeah, I asked Megan but she’s busy, Charlie’ll probably be there, if Charlie’s there Larry will be there, and probably Amita.”

Don shrugs, and then straightens up from the edge of David’s desk. “See what your schedule looks like and get back to me, okay?” He slaps David on the shoulder as he moves away. “Oh and tell Colby about it?”

David nods and reopens the profile. “Will do.”

 

VI.

Colby and David stand shoulder to shoulder a beer each, swapping stories with Don while Amita helps Alan carry out food from the kitchen. Larry and Charlie are already at the table heads bent together over some kind of drawing or map.

“Charlie!” Alan bellows from the kitchen and Charlie gets up and almost runs into Amita carrying a gravy bowel. They do an awkward little dance around each other while Amita tries to get to the table and Charlie tries to get into the kitchen, before managing to figure it out and get to where they are both going.

Charlie comes back out carrying a stack of plates and Larry stands, coming around the table to wordlessly take the plates from Charlie. Charlie only nods and lets him before ducking back into the kitchen.

“Dinner is served lady and gentlemen.” Alan comes through the kitchen door carrying a roast, followed by Charlie carrying silverware in one hand, a pitcher of water in the other.  Larry takes the silverware from Charlie and sets it out on the table and Charlie sets down the pitcher of water.  Colby nudges David’s shoulder with his own and they both head for the table and Don takes a minute, just to watch, before following. Everyone maneuvers around the table, Colby next to David and Charlie squeezes by Alan to sit next to Larry while Don finds himself between Alan and Amita, which no one seems to mind.

Dinner’s good, but then when Alan cooks it always is. After dinner they all settle down in the living room, talk about sports, or chess or math. Eventually everyone gets into a heated debate about basketball, except for Alan and Amita who seem to be deep in conversation about architecture and the physics of city planning.  Amita drags her chair further towards where Alan’s sitting, and Charlie slowly slides closer to Larry on the couch as the conversation gets more heated. 

Finally David sets down his empty beer bottle, looks at his watch then looks at Colby. Colby nods and they both stand.

“Thanks for a lovely dinner, you guys but we have to get going.”

“Yeah.” Colby holds his hand up in stationary wave. “Nice seeing all of you and Mr. Eppes, the dinner was great.”

After a small flurry of waving and goodbyes, the door closes and Amita also stands. “Yeah I should probably be going too.”

On the couch Charlie sits up straighter. “Actually before you go I have something I’ve been working on that I’d love you to take a look at.” He stands pulling Larry up by the hand as well and all three mathematicians head for garage talking among themselves.

Don sits back and sips his beer and after a few minutes Alan gets up and heads for the kitchen. Time goes by and Don lets himself relax, lets worries and work slide away. He finishes his beer, sets the empty bottle on the table and watches the shadows become longer and longer. He’s vaguely aware that the garage door slams at some point and that someone’s car starts and then grows distant. The house darkens further and after a little while Alan comes back in and turns on a couple lamps, giving Don a long look and the turns away.

“Talk to your brother.” 

Don looks up sharply at that. “Dad . . .”

Alan holds up a hand. “Just talk to him.” Alan turns and leaves the living room and Don listens to him make his way around the house and then upstairs.

“Don?” Don glances up, Charlie is standing in the doorway, half lit, the lap next to him throwing shadows across his clothes and hair. “Ask me.” 

Don blinks at him. “What?”

“Ask me.” Charlie moves further into the room coming to stand on the other side of the coffee table from where Don is sitting. “Ask me what you’ve been trying to ask me for weeks now.”

“Charlie . . .” Don starts and Charlie holds up one hand.

“Just use the words Don, call this what it is, or what you think it is.”

Don licks his lips, suddenly feeling restless, suddenly not wanting to have this conversation, not here, not now.  “Are you and Larry?” Don doesn’t know how to do this, doesn’t think he wants to know the answer to this question, not from his little brother. “Are you two . . . involved?”

Charlie tilts his head to the side slightly and takes his hands out of where they’ve lodged in his pockets to twist them together in front of him. “We’ve always been involved in one another’s work, we’re friends Don, you know that, since I was thirteen. What was it Dad always says? My first semester at Princeton all I talked about was Professor Fleinhardt.”

Don lets his breath out in something between huff and sigh, “That’s not an answer.”

Charlie actually smiles. “You haven’t really asked the question. This is the third time you’ve tried. Tried to ask me and you still can’t, can you?”

Charlie walks around the coffee table and sits next to Don on the couch slightly sideways legs curled under him and Don moves so that they’re facing on another. “Am I really so different from David, or Colby?” Charlie’s voice is a little wistful, almost gentle.

Don reaches out and touches Charlie’s knee with the very tips of his fingers. “You’re my younger brother.”

“Ask me.” Charlie’s eyes flicker down to Don’s hand and Don moves it settling it against his own thigh. “Ask me if I’m in an romantic relationship with Larry, ask me if I’m in love with Lawrence Fleinhardt.”

Charlie’s eyelashes flutter, watching Don. He’s smiling again. Don feels like he’s holding his breath. “Are you?”

Charlie shakes his head but his smile doesn’t leave. “I wanted you to say it.”

“Charlie . . .”

Charlie’s eyes come up to meet Don’s “Yes.” He sounds so totally sure, the way Don’s only ever heard Charlie sound when he’s talking about math. “Yes I am.”

For a long moment Don sits there, watches Charlie, watches Charlie’s hands clench into fists against his own jeans, watches the shadow’s play across Charlie’s face. Charlie is the most important thing in Don’s life, and Don’s run from that kind of responsibility before but it’s still true.  “Okay.” Charlie’s head jerks up again and for a moment Don sees the fear that Charlie’s somehow managed to hold back until now, the fear that Don might reject him because of this. Don only leans forward and squeezes his bother’s shoulder tightly. “Okay, Charlie.” Charlie smiles at that, then reaches forward and gives Don a little punch on the shoulder. Don can’t help himself, he bursts out laughing.

 

VII.

When Don bangs through the door Alan has the newspaper spread out on the kitchen table, and is engrossed in reading it.

“Hey Dad.”

“Hey Don.” Alan doesn’t look up and after a minute the garage door slams and Charlie comes through carrying several rolled cylinders of papers. 

“Dad have you seen . . .Oh hi Don.” 

Don nods at Charlie and goes through to the kitchen to get himself a beer. The doorbell rings and Don moves back into the dinning room in time to hear Larry’s voice high and distinct coming from the hallway, and Charlie’s voice answers whatever Larry’s been saying. Don leans until he can see the hall just in time to see Charlie lean forward and kiss Larry, quick and almost chastely on the lips, Larry smiles and take Charlie’s hand.  Don takes his beer and sits at the table, and after minute or two Larry and Charlie come into the dining room and Charlie gathers up the papers he’d carried in from the garage.

“Hey Larry.” Don raises his beer toward the smaller man in a sort of salute and Larry nods and smiles.

“Is Larry staying for dinner?” Alan asks without looking up from the newspaper and Larry and Charlie exchange glances.

“Well I wouldn’t want to be too burdensome on your family Alan . . .”

“I suppose. We’re not really sure how long this going to take . . .”

They both start talking over top each other, then stop, exchange another look and finally Charlie nods, silent communication received. “Yeah.” He turns back to Alan. “Larry will be staying for dinner.”

Alan only nods and Charlie takes Larry by the shoulder and guides him toward the garage. Their voices start up almost immediately once they’re outside the dining room but Don can’t hear what they are saying and probably wouldn’t understand it if he could.

“You knew. About them.”

Alan finally looks up from the paper. “Did I know Charlie and Larry are a couple? Yes Don, I’ve known for a while now.” Don sips his beer and adjusts to this information, and Alan smiles faintly. “Charlie and I have already had that conversation.” He closes the paper. “So that’s settled. Unless you’re coming out now too.”

Don shakes his head and can’t help but smile a little himself. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Okay then.” Alan stands. “You staying for dinner?”

Don thinks about it for a minute and then stands too. “Sure. You need help?”

Alan shrugs and then nods and Don follows his father into the kitchen.  

 


End file.
